Method and apparatus for making screens



April 21-, 19 53 H. J. DIETRICH 2,635,657

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SCREENS Filed April 27, 1951 sSheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

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firm/aways April 21, 1953 H. J. DIETRICH METHOD AND APPARATUS FORMAKING' SCREENS Filed April 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Have) d'U/ET'R/CH,

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Patented Apr. 21, 1953 orrlcr.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SCREENS Henry J. Dietrich, Thermal,Calif. Application April 27, 1951, Serial No. 223,234

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for making screens,such as screen doors, window screens, and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatuswhereby small woodworking shops equipped merely with a conventionalcircular saw or shaper may easily and quickly and economicallymanufacture the frames for screens from conventional wood stock.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a method andapparatus whereby boards usually employed for this purpose and which areusually supplied by mills can be easily and quickly shaped and cut toenable them to be assembled into a screen frame providing a ledge orrebate on which the edge of the screen wire maybe positioned, andwherein portionsof the boards are saved and utilized as molding stripsto be applied over the screen wire after the screen wire has beenpositioned.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifestin the following detailed description and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawingsfor an illustrative embodi ment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a conventionalcircular saw modified in accordance with the present invention, andillustrating the first step in the treatment of the edge of a board usedto form a portion of the frame;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but illustrating the succeeding stepin the treatment of the board;

Fig. 3 is a partial View in vertical section taken substantially uponthe line 33 upon Fig. 2 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 4 is a partial view in vertical section taken substantially uponthe line 44 uponFig. 3, in the direction indicated;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the manner in whichthe rails at the top and bottom of the screen frame are threaded in pthe coping;

" manner in which the screen. wire is applied;

Fig. 8 is' a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 88 uponFig. '7,'inthe direction indicated;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modified form ofconstruction, the first step i of the-operationonaboardbeing'illustrated;

6 Claims. (01. 144-309) Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 9, butillustrating the second step as being performed; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but illustrating the manner inwhich coping i accomplished.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, the invention isparticularly adaptable for use in conjunction with a conventionalcircular saw used in woodworking, although it is not restricted theretobut may be used on other pieces of apparatus such as shapers and thelike.

For simplicity, the invention will be described in conjunction with acircular saw which usually has a saw table It beneath which there is amandrel ll rotatable about a horizontal axis and which usually hasmounted thereon the conventional circular saw blade. The table Inusually has an opening therein occupied by a wooden filler strip I2through which the upper port-ion of the circular saw blade projects. Ontop of the table It there is usually a saw guide l3 that is adjustabletoward and away from the saw blade and this guide is usually equippedwith a wooden facing strip l4.

In accordance-with the present invention a molding cutter indicated atI5 is mounted on the mandrel II and the circular saw blade [6 is alsomounted on the mandrel against the molding cutter. A collar made up ofcircular discs or shims I! is also positioned on the mandrel to keep thehubs of the circular saw blade and the molding cutter inproperly spacedrelation. On the molding cutter becoming worn, one or more of theseshims may be removed from time'to time to keep the moldingcutter andcircular saw blade in proper relation to each other. The circular sawblade, shims, and molding cutter are tightened against a shoulder [8 onthe mandrel such. as by a nut 19. The opening in the filler strip orfiller piece I2 is widened to accommodate the molding cutter at the sideof the circular saw and the bottom of the facing strip 44 isrecessed toaccommodate that portion of the molding cutter that passes above the topsurface of the filler strip l2. 1

, The boards which are used to make up the frame for the screen areindicated at B. These boards are usually supplied from the mill finishedon their opposite faces. Usually, however, the edges and ends of theboards are unfinished. Inundertaking to prepare the boards so that theywill be suitable for assembly into a frame for the screen a board B isfirst passed over the rotating .circular sawblade andmolding cutter toform the stiles or the screen frame.

in a horizontal or flatwise position. In so doing, the board B is causedto slide rearwardly over the saw table while in engagement with thefacing strip M. The shaping of the molding cutter and its arrangementwith respect to the circular saw blade I6 is such that the saw blade IEwill cut a relatively deep groove from the lower face of the board Btoward the opposite face and spaced from the edge of the board thatbears against the facing strip M on the saw guide. The horizontalportions of the edges indicated at 20 on the molding cutter l are arranged substantially flush with the top surface of the filler piece l2and in the first step these horizontal portions of the cutter perform nocutting action. The curved portions 2i of the blades on the moldingcutter, however, doround off the lower corner of the board and also takea very slight amount off of the edge of the board as indicated at 22 soas to finish the edge of the board adjacent the removed corner. Aplurality of boards are caused to pass over the saw table as illustratedin Fig. 1.

When the first step is completed on each board the saw guide I3 togetherwith its facing strip I4 is shifted outwardly slightly or into aposition as shown in Fig. 2,- and the mandrel H is elevated slightly. Acombined guide and support is mounted on the filler strip l2 at the leftside of the circular saw blade and molding cutter. This combined guideand support is shaped as shown in Fig. 2 and is bolted by bolts 23having countersunk heads onto the table. The projecting edge 24 is ofsuch height as to support the board as it passes the circular saw andcutter, the board resting thereon on the upper side of the saw cut 26.The projecting edge 24 is of such thickness that it may readily enterthe saw cut. I

With this slight change the boards are again passed over the saw tablein engagement with the facing strip I4 but in this secondstep of theoperation it. will be observed that the saw 16 cuts a longitudinal sawcut in the edge of the board indicated at 21 which intersects the sawout 26 therein in Fig; '1. This divides and separates the molded cornerportion 28 of the board which is retained and subsequently used as amolding strip. As a means for keeping this molding strip from becomingbroken due to vibration during the cutting operation an angular spreaderformed of metal and indicated at 29 is fastened to the filler piece l2behind the saw blade so that its vertical flange 30 is in directalignment with the circular saw. This flange passes through the saw cut21 and keeps the corner 28 from vibrating against the saw blade and frombecoming damaged.

In the position shown in Fig. 2 it will be observed that the horizontalportions 20 of the cutting edges of the molding cutter finish the centerportion of the edge of the board B. The curved edges 2! on the moldingcutter round the other or opposite corner of the board and rebate itslightly as indicated at 3| a distance approximately equal to thethickness of the saw cut 21.'

These successive treatments of first passing the boards horizontally orfiatwis'e over the circular saw and molding cutter as shown in Fig. 1,and then over the circular saw and molding cutter as adjusted into theposition shown in Fig. 2, complete the formationof the inner edges ofthe boards to form the screen frame. Two of such boards indicated at 32and 33 may be utilized These boards have their inner edges rebated aspreviously described so that there are ledges 34 thereon against whichthe edges of the screen S may be positioned. Adjacent these ledges thereare transversely extending grooves 35 so that the extreme edge portionsof the screen can be bent therein on the application of a flanged roller36 having a flange 31 that depresses the edge portion into the groove asshown in Fig. 8. Two other boards treated as previously described may beutilized as the top and bottom rails, respectively, indicated at 38 and39. These boards are cut to length so as to fit between the stiles .32and 33 and are then coped in order to fit the molded inner edges of thestiles. To accomplish this the circular saw blade 16 and the moldingcutter i5 are removed from the rotatable mandrel II and a differentcoping cutter is substituted therefor. One such coping cutter isillustrated in Fig. 5 having a horizontal cutting edge 4]) that isspaced above the top surface of the filler piece I2 a distancecorresponding to the distance that the rebate 3| is spaced from the edgeof the board as shown in Fig. 2. The curved portion 4| of the copingcutter is shaped in conformity with that portion of the board B betweenthe rebate BI and the groove 26. The board B in Fig. 5 is passed endwiseover the coping cutter so that the ends of the rails are shaped as shownin Fig. 6, to properly fit between the tops and bottoms of the stiles.The rails and stiles may be secured together in any suitable orpreferred manner and the screen wire S is then positioned over theledges 34 on the stiles and railsv Its edge portions are depressed inthe groove 35 by the fianged roller 36.

The cut off corners 28 of the boards are preserved and those out oficorners of the rails are mitered at their ends and are reapplied to therails. The cut off corners of the stiles are shortened so as to fitbetween the rails and have their ends mitered and are reapplied to thestiles. These molding strips provided by the cut off corners may bevsecured in position in any suitable or preferred manner and as thedesign for the molding cutter i5 is such as to allow for the same, themolding strips when applied will fit within the right angle rebate andassume positions flush with the molded inner edges of the boards, thuscompleting the screen.

In Figs. 9, 1i) and 11 a similar method and apparatus to that previouslydescribed is disclosed except that the molding cutter and coping cutterhave been combined together. In this form of construction the blades ofthe combined molding and coping cutter indicated at 43 are so formedthat the left-hand portion of the blade that is between the point 34 andthe circular saw blade 25 conforms to the corresponding portion of themolding cutter 15. The right-hand portion of each blade, that is theportion between the point 44 and the point 46 conforms in shape to thecoping cutter illustrated in Fig. 5. Other than having the molding andcoping cutters combined together, the method is substantially the sameas previously described. The boards are first passed flatwise over thetable so asto be acted upon by the circular saw blade 45 and theleft-hand portion of-the cutter 43. In so doing, the first step of theoperation performed on the boards is accomplished in very much the samemanner as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thereafter, the block 23a, togetherwith its projecting edge 24, is applied to the table and the spreader 29may be applied. Usually, however, the spreader is allowed to remain onthe table at all times as the spreader merely passes through the saw cutout by the circular saw blade. The second operation on the boards is asdepicted in Fig. 10, wherein the saw guide is shifted outwardly a slightdistance and the mandrel II is elevated to elevate the cutters. Theboards are passed over the cutters in a vertical or edgewise manner tocomplete the molding of the inner edge of the boards and to shape thelower corner which is ultimately to be used as a molding strip. Thoseboards which are to be used as rails are passed over the cutter in anendwise fashion to utilize that portion of the cutter between the points44 and 46 which shapes the ends of the rails so that they may fit withthe molded inner edges of the stiles. It is advisable to remove thecircular saw 45 when this operation is performed, and consequently thesaw is not shown in Fig. 11. However, this is not essential inasmuch asthe ends of the rails in this operation pass over a portion of thecutter 43 remote from the circular saw.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with a circularsaw having a horizontally rotatable shaft or mandrel II that isvertically adjustable, it will be appreciated that it is not restrictedthereto but may be used on other forms of woodworking equipment such asshapers or devices having rotating shafts rotatable about vertical axesand on which the cutters and saw blades are capable of being mounted.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making screen frames comprising a circular sawtable, an adjustable rotary shaft therebeneath, a molding cutter and acircular saw blade on the rotary shaft in side by side relationship, asaw guide on the table disposed on one side of the saw blade and cutter,and a guide strip on the table disposed at the side of the blade andcutter in opposed relationship to said saw guide, said guide striphaving a thin projecting edge projecting toward the saw guide on thetable and adapted to slidingly support a board before and after it hastraversed the blade and cutter.

2. An apparatus for making screen frames comprising a saw table, anadjustable rotary shaft mounted in underlying relationship to saidtable, a rotary saw blade and molding cutter on said shaft in side byside relationship, a saw guide mounted on said table and disposed on oneside of said saw blade and cutter, and a guide strip located on saidtable at the side of said saw blade and cutter in opposed relationshipto said saw guide, said guide strip having a projection thereonextending toward said saw guide adapted to support a board before andafter it has traversed the blade and cutter, said projection beingparallel to the surface of the table.

3. An apparatus for making screen frames comprising a saw table, anadjustable rotary shaft mounted in underlying relationship to saidtable, a rotary saw blade and molding cutter on said shaft in side byside relationship, a saw guide mounted on said table and disposed on oneside of said saw blade and cutter, a guide strip located on said tableat the side of said saw blade and cutter in opposed relationship to saidsaw guide, said guide strip having a projection thereon extending towardsaid saw guide adapted to support a board before and after it hastraversed the blade and cutter, said projection being parallel to thesurface of the table, and a spreader on said table located behind thesaw for receiving said board and prevent material partially cuttherefrom from vibrating against said saw blade.

4. An apparatus for making screen frames comprising a saw table, anadjustable rotary shaft mounted in underlying relationship to saidtable, a rotary saw blade and molding cutter on said shaft in side byside relationship, a saw guide mounted on said table and disposed on oneside of said saw blade and cutter, a guide strip located on said tableat the side of said saw blade and cutter in opposed relationship to saidsaw guide, said guide strip having a projection thereon extending towardsaid saw guide adapted to support a board before and after it hastraversed the blade and cutter, said projection being parallel to thesurface of the table, and a spreader on said table located behind thesaw for receiving said board and prevent material partially cuttherefrom from vibrating against said saw blade, said spreader beingL-shaped and having one leg perpendicular to the surface of the table.

5. An apparatus for making screen frames comprising a saw table, anadjustable rotary shaft mounted in underlying relationship to saidtable, a rotary saw blade and molding cutter on said shaft in side byside relationship, a saw guide mounted on said table and disposed on oneside of said saw blade and cutter, a guide strip located on said tableat the side of said saw blade and cutter in opposed relationship to saidsaw guide, said guide strip having a projection thereon extending towardsaid saw guide adapted to support a board before and after it hastraversed the blade and cutter, said projection being parallel to thesurface of the table, and an L-shaped spreader on said table locatedbehind the saw, said spreader having one leg parallel to and inalignment with the cut made in the board by the saw blade for receivingsaid board and prevent material partially cut therefrom from vibratingagainst said saw blade.

6. The method of making screen frames which comprises simultaneouslylongitudinally grooving and arcuately contouring boards that are to formthe stiles and rails of a screen frame from end to end thereof along oneside face of each board adjacent an edge thereof, simultaneouslylongitudinally grooving, notching and arcuately contouring each boardfrom end to end on the mentioned edge with a groove that intersects thementioned groove thus cutting molding strips from the boards, andsimultaneously grooving and arcuately contouring the ends of the boardsthat are to become rails complementary to the shape of the mentionededges on the stiles resulting from cutting the molding strips therefrom.

HENRY J. DIETRICH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 508,309 Hall Nov. '7, 1893 782,088 Ward Feb. 7, 1905 783,946Gregory Feb. 28-, 1905 932,373 Burns Aug. 24, 1989 1,614,720 De PenningJan. 18, 1927 1,792,762 Rockwell Feb. 1'7, 1931

